Insulative terminal cap

ABSTRACT

An elastomeric cap of hollow construction for application over the output terminals of a welder. An internal cap groove grips a circular element on the terminal to firmly retain the cap in place. A bifurcated neck portion of the cap encloses the end of the electrical cable and the metal fitting thereon.

United States Patent [1 1 Holloway Oct. 21, 1975 INSULATIVE TERMINAL CAP [76] Inventor: Norman C. Holloway, Box 267,

Chesire, Oreg. 97419 [22] Filed: July 10, 1974 21 Appl, No: 487,277

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,474,975 11/1923 Mansbendel 174/138 F UX 2,163,412 6/1939 Schneider 174/138 FUX Jim? I 4 4 /0 i E c -//4 l 34 1 2,814,667 11/1957 I-Iollins 174/138 F 2,825,880 3/1958 Wechsler 339/116 C 3,737,559 6/1973 Cooper, Jr 174/138 F FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 573,123 ll/l945 United Kingdom 339/116 R Primary ExaminerLaramie E. Askin Attorney, Agent, or Firm.lames D. Givnan, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT An elastomeric cap of hollow construction for application over the output terminals of a welder. An internal cap groove grips a circular element on the terminal to firmly retain the cap in place. A bifurcated neck portion of the cap encloses the end of the electrical cable and the metal fitting thereon.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures US. Patent 00. 21, 1975 LII INSULATIVE TERMINAL CAP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to protective insulative devices and specifically to a cap of an elastomeric nature for placement over the output terminals of a welding machine known as a welder in the trade.

A recognized problem is the hazard presented by the exposed terminals of electrical equipment. Recent Federal legislation directed toward workers health and safety now requires that welder terminals be shielded to prevent electrical shock to a personfaccidently coming into contact with a terminal. 7 A

Attempts to remedy the problem of exposed terminals include threaded fittings for attachment to the welder terminal at one end and receiving the cable end at its opposite end. Such fittings are costly and difficult to attach to the welder by reason of requiring specific tools for such attachment. A further problem encountered by existing fittings used for shielding welder terminals is that on portable welding machines the rigid fittings which project outwardly at right angles to the welder control panel are susceptible to breakage on the job or in transit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is .embodied within a device in the nature of a cap detachably engageable about a welder terminal to shield workers from both terminal contact as well as contact with the metal end fitting of the cable.

The cap is of cylindrical configuration on its interior with an annular groove extending substantially about the interior wall for circumferential engagement with a terminal mounted washer. The cap is accordingly in tight engagement with the terminal and in abutment with the face plate or front wall of the welder. Integral with the cylindrical portion of the cap is a cable encompassing neck portion. The neck portion is bifurcated with opposed segments encompassing the end of the electrical cable and the fitting thereon.

Important objects of the invention include; the provision of a terminal cap readily engageable with a welder terminal with said cap in gripping engagement with a circular element on said terminal; the provision of a terminal cap of an elastomeric nature flexible by manual effort alone into encompassing engagement with the terminal with such attachment of a secure nature resisting all but intentional separation which may be readily accomplished all without the aid of special tools, and; the provision of a terminal cap of a unitary molded nature having a low manufacturing cost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a conventional welder with the present terminal caps in place thereon,

FIG. 2 is a vertical section of a cap in place on a typical welder terminal,

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a cap removed from a welder terminal, and

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section of the cap taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With continuing attention to the accompanying drawings wherein applied reference numerals indicate parts similarly identified in the following specification, the reference numeral 1 indicates generally a welding machine, termed a welder in the trade, which may be of the permanent or transportable type and including various controls for regulating the electrical output for the specific welding task at hand.

Typically mounted on the front wall 2 of such welders, in addition to the aforementioned controls, are two output terminals of identical construction sometimes referred to as positive and negative terminals or electrode and work terminals which put the welder in an are producing circuit with the welding rod and the article being welded. Such terminals may carry substantial amperage, thus they are capable of imparting a severe electrical shock to a person coming into direct or indirect contact therewith. As the terminals are identical, the following description pertains to but one cap and terminal combination.

A conventional terminal in place on the front wall 2 of a welder includes a threaded stud 3 projecting through said wall insulated therefrom by an insulator 4 with a nut 5 bearing upon a metal washer 6 all in the nature of a binding post. Conventionally, a cable fitting 7 of oblong shape is secured between the washer and nut thereby spaced away from the metallic front wall of the welder.

In use of the present cap the typical nut and washer element is left in place on stud 3 with the cable fitting 7 fitted in place over nut element 5 with the fitting aperture circumposed about the stud. Superimposed on said fitting is a washer 8 and a nut element 9 both contributing to a positive electrical contact with the stud. The washer 8 is of a diameter having an outer edge 8A outwardly spaced from fitting 7 and nut element 9.

With attention to the cap structure, a cylindrical head portion 10 concentrically fits about the welder stud 3 and merges into a downward extension or neck 11 the latter encompassing a cable end C and neck 7A of fitting 7. Said extension is semi-circular in nature bifurcated along its front side at 14 to permit flexed engagement with the cable end and neck 7A.

An internal groove 13 extends about the inner wall 12 of the cap head terminating downwardly in communication with the circular internal wall 16 of the cap neck. As aforesaid, neck 11 is bifurcated to define an opening 14 defined by neck walls 11A between which passes the cable end segment during cap attachment. The neck walls diverge upwardly adjacent the head portion 10 to facilitate passage of the head portion over cable fitting 7 which is normally of other than circular shape.

The cap is retained on the terminal by groove 13 being in gripping engagement about edge 8A of washer 8. The cap body is formed of molded rubber having firm but resilient characteristics. The cap head and neck portions fully enclose the metallic terminal components with a frontal edge 15 of the cap flush against the welder face plate 2. The circular frontal edge 15 is internally chamfered to facilitate passage over circular element 8 of the terminal. Removal of the cap is by an upwardly and outwardly exerted pull on the cap neck to disengage groove 13 from about washer edge 8A.

While I have shown but one embodiment of the invention it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied still otherwise without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what is desired to be secured under a Letters Patent is:

1. An insulative cap for flexed engagement with an output terminal of a welder and an attached electrical cable fitting, said terminal including a circular element spaced outwardly from the front wall surface of the welder, said cap comprising,

an elastomeric head portion of hollow construction for reception of the terminal and defining on its interior an internal groove for seated engagement about the periphery of the circular element in place on the welder terminal, said head portion having a frontal edge, a tubular neck portion integral with said head portion bifurcated along one side to provide lengthwise extending opposed neck walls with each of said neck walls diverging in opposite directions to define a relieved neck wall area adjacent the inner wall of the cap head portion, said head and neck walls adapted to flex outwardly to receive the circular terminal element and the cable fitting during installation with the relieved area defined by the neck walls admitting the cable fitting.

2. The cap as claimed in claim 1 wherein said groove is offset from the frontal edge of the cap a distance such that when the circular element on the terminal is received in the groove, the cap frontal edge will abut the wall of the welder from which the terminal extends, said frontal edge is internally chamfered to facilitate passage of said frontal edge over the terminal circular element. 

1. An insulative cap for flexed engagement with an output terminal of a welder and an attached electrical cable fitting, said terminal including a circular element spaced outwardly from the front wall surface of the welder, said cap comprising, an elastomeric head portion of hollow construction for reception of the terminal and defining on its interior an internal groove for seated engagement about the periphery of the circular element in place on the welder terminal, said heaD portion having a frontal edge, a tubular neck portion integral with said head portion bifurcated along one side to provide lengthwise extending opposed neck walls with each of said neck walls diverging in opposite directions to define a relieved neck wall area adjacent the inner wall of the cap head portion, said head and neck walls adapted to flex outwardly to receive the circular terminal element and the cable fitting during installation with the relieved area defined by the neck walls admitting the cable fitting.
 2. The cap as claimed in claim 1 wherein said groove is offset from the frontal edge of the cap a distance such that when the circular element on the terminal is received in the groove, the cap frontal edge will abut the wall of the welder from which the terminal extends, said frontal edge is internally chamfered to facilitate passage of said frontal edge over the terminal circular element. 